Machine for making cartons



Sept. 29,1925. 1,555,378

H. s. LABOMBARDE MACHINE FOR MAKING CARTONS Filed Feb. 6, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HAHEILD S. LABDMBARDE.

ATTORNEYT- Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES mom's. monnaann, or Nashua NEW nmsmn.

IACHINE FOR MAKING GARTONS.

Application filed February 6, 1924. Serial lio. 890,887.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, HAROLD S. LABOM- BARDE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Nashua, in the county of Hillsbore and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of paper or pasteboard boxes, and has particular reference to the manufacture of corrugated paper cartons of the type comprising a blank cut and creased to provide four wall sections and a relatively'narrow edge section or flap at one edge which, when the blank is folded on two of its crease lines, is over-lapped upon the opposite edge of the blank and secured thereto.

Some boxes or cartons of this-type have been made with the lapped joints secured by glue (a generic term used herein as applicable to any suitable adhesive), and others have been made with the lapped joints secured by a row of wire fastenings. Such cartons, when they are to be used for shipping or storing more or less bulky or heavy oods, are made of corrugated pa er which always comprises twoor more lay ers of paper having parallel air spaces. The paper employed is not tough, and this fact and the pressure of the air spaces renders it impossible for wire fastenings to reliably prevent relative slippin of the material at the lapped joint. And 51c same characteristics of the paper render it impossible to effect a reliably inseparable seam by means of glue alone.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a machine for making boxes or cartons of this type with lapped joints which are seamed by glue and abo by fastenings which pass entirely throu h the two layers of lapped -material, w ereby strong and durable joints are rovided.

Another object. is to provide machines of this character in which the feeding of t blanks is timed to coordinate with the timing of operation of the stitching or staling mechanism.

ith these and other objects 111 view, as will be explained, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a complete machine embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a detail view, on a larger scale than Figure l, of parts which effect timing of the-feed of the blanks.

igure 3 is a plan view of the machine.

Figure-4 represents a section on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are views illustrating work performed by the machine.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in all of the views.

At one end of a suitable frame 12 is a feed mechanism for out and creased blanks such as indicated at a in Figure 5. A pile of such blanks, stacked between adjustable side plates 13 (Fig. 3), rear strips 14, and a front gage strip or plate 15 (Fig. 1) is supported by'suitably mounted rolls 16 with the front edge of the lowermost blank of the pile capable of intermittently resting, as presently explained, on one or more continuously rotating feed wheels 17 having. a

.friction periphery spaced suflicientlybelow the lower end of the gage 15 to permit one blank at a time to pass out to the carrier and folding belts. By intermittently acting upon the lower blank to'lift it out of contact with the feed wheel 17 andelevate its front edge above the space below the strip 15, feeding is arrested until again lowered. The mechanism for effecting this operation comprises a roll or rolls 18 car-- ried by arms 19 of a rock shaft 20 (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) mounted in bearings supported by the side portions of the frame, said shaft having another arm 21 to which a spring 22 is connected. An adjustable stop screw '23 (Fig. 1) behind the arm 21 de termines the lowermost position for the lifting-rolls 18.

- A link 24 is connected at one end to the arm 21 and at the other end (Fig. 2) has a loop 25 riding on a roll 26 carried by a shaft 27 having a cam 28 which acts on a small roll 29 at the end of loop 25 whereby, coacting with the spring 22, the arms 19 and their rolls 18 are caused to alternate! oc cupy the position indicated by the ful and "dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. A portion of the rod 24 is broken awa in Figures 1 and 3 to avoid confusion wi th other parts parts which brin I 'cessivelyto position to be erated upon by said mechanism, that the astenings are at the right in those figures. It Will now be understood that a blank is fed only whenthe rolls 18' are lowered. As will be explained hereinafter, the shaft 27 which car;

ries the cam 28 is so tinted as to its rotation, relatively to the operation of the stitching or stapling I mechanism and the the folded blanks sucapplied in the correct positions longitudinally of the joint as indicated byFi re 7.

Near the shaft 30 of the feed wheel 17 is a shaft 31 onv which pulleys 32 are mounted to rotate therewith but capable of being adjusted longitudinally thereof On the shaft 27 at the other end of the machine pulleys 33 are similarly mounted. A pair of lower or carrier belts 34 are. mounted on the pulleys 32, 33, and also run over suitable tightener pulleys 35. The upper stretches of saidbelts run over small rolls mounted'in cage bars 36 which are laterallyadjustable on the shafts 31, 27, by means of screws 37 .havin crank handles 38.- The' two screws a driven shaft 42 above the shaft 27, and at the other end by pulleys 43 alongtsi'de of the pulleys 32 and on the same she 31 which carries said pulleys 32 (Figs. 1,3, and 4). So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide a folding machine in which both car-- I rier belts and folding belts are mounted at one .end on pulleys all of which are. carried by the same shaft whereby equal-speed of travel of the belts .is ensured.

Properly located guiding pulle s for the twisted folding belts are indicate at 44, 45,

All of the pulleys for the upper or twisted belts are so. mounted and connected with the cage bars 36 that when the said bars and the lower or carrier belts are adjusted, the upper ones are simultaneously adjusted.

,Mounted and laterally adjustable on-two upper tie bars 47 are three brackets, the

two outer ones being indicated at 48 in Figure 3 andthe middle one at 49. The outer ones 48 sup ort the cage bars 50 in which are mounted small idler rolls which hold the blanks down on the lower carrier belts in that portion of the machine where the side panels of the blanks are first turned upby t e folding belts. Said cage bars 50 have extensions or fingers 51 over which the side panels are folded. The middle bracket 49 supports .a long finger 5.2 whichextends nearly to the delivery "end of the machine,

the portion which is to act as an; anvil or clinching strip as presently described being thin. Thejoute'r sides or edges of the cage bars and fingers 51 ensure folding of each blank on two of its crease lines as indicated by Figure 6.

Each blank has a narrowedge flap a.

which, as the blank issues from the feeder,

passes over and in contact with a glue wheel 53carriedby a suitably driven shaft, said I.

wheel taking glue from a receptacle 54. Lateral adjustment of the glue applying device is provided for by a screw '55 having a hand crank56 '(Fig. 3).

Mounted on sprockets carried by a shaft 57 and .by the shaft 27 (Fig. 1) are two chains 58 havingpins 59'at properly spaced intervals, said chains. being driven at a slightly slower speed of travel than the belts 34,- 40. I

The two folding belts are so twisted that as each blank passes beyond the'point where itreaches the condition of fold shown by Figure 6-, the panel havingthe flap a, which has received glue on its under surface, reaches position sothat the margin of the panel at the otherside is folded on top of the said glue flap a as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7. Each blank, as it is completely folded, with its middle portion below the thin anvil strip 52 and its overlapped margins above said strip, is caused by the belts to contact with a pair of chain pins 59in front obit, the belts then slipping a little past the folded blank and keep; mg it squared up-against said pins. The pairs of pins are so spaced that a second pair can not reach the rear edge of a folded blank before the latter is discharged onto the belt 60 of a suitable stacking mechanism.

The wire stitching or stapling mechanism is indicated as a whole at 61. As it is 'a mechanism which specifically, could not be claimed in a patent for the features which I. have invented, it is unnecessary to illustrate its details herein. The mechanism which is outlined is the well-known Saranac multiple-head stitcher, but it might be some other type sofar as the resent invention is concerned: It is su cient for the present to state that the wire fastenings are delivered through nozzles 62 and driven through the overlapped and glued portions of each folded blank, such fastenings being indir ated at a in Figure 7 The fastenings are clinched against the anvil strip 52 here- -inbefore referred to, said strip being, in

practice,support ed by a suitable rigid plate not necessary to illustrate, a space being provided, of course, for the passage of the middle or main portion of the folded blank to pass along between such rigid plate and Ill) the anvil strip. The rigid plate referred to is supported by a bar 71 hereinafter referred t arrival of a folded blank beneathf'thfe nozgears operating as usual to effect the"operation of the selected units ofthe stitcher at zles -62. The drawings indicate ten units and ten nozzles. The well-known] Saranac machines referred to include means for causing only selected units to simultaneously operate. Figure 7 indicates-need for butthree units, but it will be readily understood that longer blanks or ,bOxes mi ht require the operation of a-greater num er of units.

Assuming now that the main shaft 63 of theentire machine is suitably driven, as by a belt operating one of the pulleys 64 (Fig.

3), gearing is provided which willensure the proper relative timing of operation of the feeder, folder, pin-carrying chains, and stitcher. Such gearing-comprises a pinion 65 carried by the drive shaft 63 and meshing with a gear carried byshaft' 27 (Fig. 1), the latter driving the chains which carry the carton-locating ins 59'. 'The same shaft 27 drives the lower elts which in turn drive the shaft 31. Through the {folding belts,

said shaft 31 drives theshaft 42. In practice, however, it ma be desirable .to also provide the sh fts 2 ,42, ,with-intermeshing gears. The shaft 42 has 'a pinion 66- nieshing with the lower one of the two inter meshing gears 67, 68, of the stitcher, said predetermined intervals. The relative roportions of the pinions and' gears are suc as to ensure simultaneous operation of the stitcher units once just as alpa'ir of chain pins permit a glued and folded ,blank to.

arrive in position to receive fastenings as;

indicated at a. in Figure 7. The mo mentary pressure of the stitcher plungers upon the blank maytem orarily arrest-the blank, but no inju'rycan effected because before the next pair of chain catchup with the rear edge 0' the folded blank, the stitcher plungers will have risen and the upper and lower belts then efiect delivery of the folded, glued, and stitched carton.

In order that the stitching mechanism may be laterally adjusted to secure proper location of the fastenings 0., especially when different sizes of blanks are to be operated upon, said mechanism is supported on two upper transverse bars 69, and the anvil sup late hereinbefore referred to'and porting indicate at 71 is supported on two lower transverse bars .70. Screws 72 extend into threaded members of the upper part of the stitching mechanism and screws 73 extend ins 59 can i into threaded portions of the plate 71. Chains 74 connect sprockets secured to the upper screws with sprockets secured to the lower screws, and a chain 75 connects sprockets secured to the two lower screws, whereby all of said screws may be simuls taneously and equally actuated by operating either one of said chains or by operatin a handle or wrench applied to either of fhe four screws. I

To ensure travel of each blank from the feeder onto the carrier belts, I may employ rolls 77 carried by a shaft 76 1 and 4).

As the operation of the several parts of the machine have been explained in connection with the descriptions of the structures of such parts, an explanation of the operation of the machine as a whole will be unnecessary.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A carton-making machine having means for folding blanks with overlapping portions, and means for securing said overlapped portions both by glue and a row of fastenings.

2. A machine for making cartons, having means for applying glue to a portion of each blank, means for folding the blank witha glue-lapped joint, and means for apfilying a row of metallic fastenings to' sa oint.

' A m'achine of the character described comprising a blank feeder, mechanism for folding the blanks with tlreiropposite marginal portions over-lapping each other,

mechanism for applying separate fastenings blanks with the operation of the wire fastenin means. v

5. blank foldin machine havin a pair of carrier belts, a shaft having pulfeys for said belts, a feeder ad'acent said shaft for delivering blanks to said belts, twisted folding belts mounted on pulleys carried by said shaft adjacent the feeder, and rolls for holding the blanks in contact. with the carrier belts during the firstportion of their travel thereon.

6.,In a machine of the character described, a pair of carrier belts, a pair of bars extending partially along the belts and above them, folding instrumentalities for acting on portions of blanks at the outer sides of said bars, a strip between said bars onto which the marginal portions of the blanks are folded and overlapped and means tion of each-folded blank relatively to said wire-fastening mechanism,

8. A machine of the character described, having an intermittently operative wirefastening mechanism, means for folding blanks and delivering them to position to be operated 'upon by said mechanism, and a pair of chains having pins to be engaged by said blanks to determine the position of 'each blank'to receive its wire fastenings.

- 9. A carton making .machine having means for causing blanks to travel while being folded," a .pair of chains having pins against which the front edges of the folded folding means, and'means for applying fasblanks abut, and mechanism for applying fastenings to each folded blank While 'it is in contact with said pins.

10. A machine of the characterdescribedcomprising a blank feeder, means for applylng glue to a portion of each blank,

means for folding each'blaiik with a gluelapped joint a pair of chalnsj aving pins against which each blank is delivered by the ank tenings to said lapped joint while the is in contact with he chain pins.

- 11. In a machine having means for folding blanks and means for applying metal fastenings thereto,. means for adjusting the lateral positions of both the folding means and the fastener-applying means.

12. Ina machine'having means for f0ld-.

ing blanks and means for applying metal fastenings thereto, means for adjusting the lateral positions of both the folding means and the fastener-applying means, said adjusting means comprising a plurality ofscrews having connections for ensuring their equal operation."

' In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HAROLD s. LABOMBARDE. 

